Rima Mananta, an indigenous Indonesian community leader, and Inda Fatinaware, a long-time environmental campaigner with Friends of the Earth Indonesia will arrive in Atlantic Canada next week to bear witness to the decades-long struggle of communities with the Canadian-owned INCO nickel mine and smelter in Sorowako, in the island archipelago of Indonesia.

Presentations on INCO in Indonesia will be given at UPEI on Tuesday, November 7 at 10 am in the Main Building, Room 220, and again at 7 pm at the Atlantic Veterinary College, Lecture Theatre D. Both events are open to the public and free.

"PEI students and the public need to be aware of what our tax dollars are supporting and subsidizing in southern islands. As with our own island, these are places particularly vulnerable to the ecological damages wrought by mining," points out Dr. Irene Novaczek of the Institute of Island Studies. "We encourage the university community and general public to come out to these important and provocative presentations, as there are lessons to be learned for PEI, and a clear need for us to show solidarity with islanders in the south whose rights are being violated through activities that are subsidized by our federal government."

The tour has been organized by MiningWatch Canada, the Indonesian Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM), and the United Steelworkers' Humanity Fund. The Charlottetown leg of the tour is being sponsored by the Institute of Island Studies, CUSO, the Environmental Studies and Sustainability Program of UPEI, and Development and Peace. The focus of Development and Peace for the next two years is to hold Canadian mining companies operating overseas to account for their policies and activities.

Following the east coast tour, the Indonesian women will travel to Montreal to attend the November 14th government roundtable on mining, where they will call on the Canadian government to regulate Canadian mining, oil and gas companies operating overseas.

"Regrettably, Canadian mining has been, and continues to be, linked to grave human rights abuses, pollution, deforestation, violence, and health problems associated with poverty and exposure to toxins," notes Dr. Almut Beringer of the UPEI Environmental Studies and Sustainability Program. "We are happy to be part of the network that has brought the story of INCO in Indonesia to the attention of Canadians and the government."

For further information please contact:

Dr Irene Novaczek

Institute of Island Studies

Ph 566 0386

inovaczek@upei.ca

The UPEI Department of English and the Prince Edward Island Writers' Guild are very pleased to host Dennis Bock for a public reading and reception. The event will be held on Thursday, November 2, at 7:00 at the Reading Well Bookstore, 87 Water Street, Charlottetown.

Dennis will be reading from his new novel, The Communist's Daughter, published in 2006 by Harper Collins Canada. Currently residing in Guelph Ontario, where he lives with his family, Dennis Bock is one of Canada's most exciting contemporary authors. His collection Olympia, won the 1998 Canadian Authors' Association Jubilee Award, the inaugural Danuta Gleed Award for best first collection of stories by a Canadian author and the British Betty Trask Award. His first novel, The Ash Garden, was a #1 national bestseller and was shortlisted for the prestigious 2003 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Amazon.com/Books in Canada First Novel Award.

In The Communist's Daughter, the legendary Canadian Dr. Norman Bethune comes vividly to life, amidst the chaos and destruction of the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930's. As we read Bethune's wrenching letter home to the daughter he left behind, Bock examines the competing demands of political idealism and personal responsibility. Come join the discussion of this captivating new novel and the enigmatic individual whose voice it captures.

UPEI and the City of Charlottetown are teaming up this weekend to present a jam-packed sports schedule at the university that will highlight some of the best student athletes in the province and offer an exciting opportunity for Islanders to show their support.

"We invite the public to come and enjoy an incredible line-up of games and some extra special events as well," says Ron Annear, UPEI Athletic Director. "It's going to be a real celebration of PEI sport and a great opportunity to recognize the partnerships that help our athletes on their way to the top."

The weekend kicks off Friday with the Women's/Men's soccer hosting MtA at 6:30/8:30 pm. At half-time of the women's game there will be special ceremony to honour 2005 CIS Player of the Year Amy Connolly by retiring her Number 8 jersey.

Events continue at 8:20 pm with a ceremony to celebrate the community benefits of the new artificial turf field. Representatives of the City of Charlottetown, UPEI, the PEI Soccer Association and the PEI School Athletic Association will strut their soccer stuff by taking a ceremonial kick on the new turf.

"The partnership between the City and UPEI has given us a top quality surface that enables Charlottetown to host provincial, regional, and national events," says Mayor Clifford Lee. "The playing season has been extended for soccer, field hockey, and football by allowing the sports to gain access to a field earlier in spring and later in the fall. The City of Charlottetown is pleased to have partnered in the construction of the artificial turf field venue, which has enabled us to host a number of sporting events since it opened in October 2005."

At the MacLauchlan Arena, play gets under way at 7:30 pm on Friday when the men's hockey Panthers take on StFx.

The Road to UPEI: PEI School Athletic Provincial Championships get going at 10 am on Saturday with the Senior Women's Soccer Gold event, followed by the Senior A Men's Soccer Gold at noon. Competitions continue in the afternoon with Field Hockey Bronze at 2 pm and Gold at 4 pm. The Senior AA Women's Soccer Gold is scheduled for 6 pm and the Senior AA Men's Soccer Gold kicks off at 8 pm.

There are two Panther hockey games scheduled for Saturday. The women's team plays StFx at 2:30 pm and the men meet Dalhousie at 7:30 pm. On Sunday, the weekend winds up with the women soccer Panthers against UNB at 1 pm, the men's hockey Panthers against Dal at 2:30 pm, and the men's soccer Panthers against UNB at 3 pm.

"It's going to be an amazing weekend and we invite everyone to come out to support sports excellence in the community and at the university," says Ron Annear. For more information on the schedule of events go to upei.ca/athletics.

Dr. Cecilia Moloney, NSERC/Petro-Canada Chair for Women in Science and Engineering for the Atlantic Region, will be speaking at UPEI on Thursday, November 23. Her talk entitled "Thinking Yourself into a Scientist or Engineer" will be followed by an open discussion and refreshments. All interested members of the community are invited to attend. It takes place in the Atlantic Veterinary College Lecture Theatre D beginning at 4:30 pm with a short reception. The presentation begins at 5pm. Dr. Moloney is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Once again UPEI has moved up in the annual Maclean's rankings of the country's 21 primarily undergraduate universities. This builds on an upward trend that has seen UPEI climb steadily from 18th position in 2000 to the 8th position it has held during the past two years. Now it ranks number five in Canada.

The annual Maclean's rankings released this week place UPEI number one in the country for awards per full time faculty, fourth for the number of classes taught by tenured faculty, and fourth for the number of students winning awards.

"Our increasingly positive results reflect our commitment to providing students with an exceptional educational experience at UPEI," says Vice President of Academic Development Dr. Vianne Timmons. "The number five overall ranking also speaks to improvements and enhanced performance in all aspects of what we do at UPEI."

UPEI students also welcomed the fifth place ranking as recognition of the many positive developments on campus. "It has been an incredible experience to see the transformational effects that a UPEI education can have on its students," says Student Union President Ryan Gallant, "and to see this small university become a more viable option for all students, not just for those from Atlantic Canada or from across the country, but for students around the world."

More than 4,000 students from 50 countries and every region of Canada now attend UPEI. Although the historic core of the campus proudly traces its roots back to 1804, most facilities have been newly constructed or recently expanded and renovated during a period of unprecedented development over the last five years.

The Duffy Science Centre has been completely redesigned. A new apartment-style residence has transformed the south face of campus. The National Research Council Institute for Nutrisciences and Health brings a remarkable new science platform, to be joined by a $32 million expansion of the Atlantic Veterinary College now under way. And the new School of Business and Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship has begun construction, promising to become a hub of business innovation on Prince Edward Island.

Today the School of Business at the University of Prince Edward Island celebrated the progress made on its new state-of-the-art facility that has been under construction since early October. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, dignitaries and friends attended a morning reception at the Faculty Lounge. UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan and School of Business Dean Roberta MacDonald offered remarks, noting the impact the new home for the Business School and Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship will have on business education, research, and service.

"The new building is an exciting and historic milestone for the students, faculty, staff and alumni," said Roberta MacDonald. "It will be a major centre for business education and research for Prince Edward Island and beyond. We are thrilled with this exciting development."

The new building will see Marian Hall, which has been part of the University landscape since 1959, renovated and extended to provide 48,000 square feet of space. "This building will provide students with a cutting-edge interactive environment," said Dean MacDonald. "It will house classrooms, meeting spaces, public areas, offices, labs, and the Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship."

Small and medium business has always been a focus at the School of Business Administration, and the Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (CEE) will enhance offerings to Island industries. The Tourism Research Centre, the PEI BioAlliance, and the ACOA Seed Capital program will be based in the CEE, creating links with the ground floor of PEI's major economic opportunities.

PEI Premier Pat Binns offered a toast to the future of the Business School, recognizing the importance of entrepreneurship on PEI. The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency sent written remarks, noting that the creation of a Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at UPEI is an important initiative for the Island. Michael Schurman, chair of the UPEI Building a Legacy campaign, and Tim Banks, co-chair of the Business School's portion of the campaign, advocated strengthening relationships between the business community and the university for the benefit of all.

Professor Crystal McLeod and students Alicia Bremner and David McKenna presented the contents of a time capsule, created by business students, which will be positioned in the new building. Following the reception, student marshalls, led by a piper, took guests on a tour overlooking the construction site.

The School will increase its offerings to include new streams of undergraduate programs such as specializations in Entrepreneurship and Biotech Management, and proposed graduate degrees in Innovative Management and Biotech Management "I'm very excited about the new building," says third-year student T.J. Cummiskey. "It will create excellent opportunities and advantages for students and the business community alike."

With the growth of the Biotech industry on PEI, opportunities are being created in the and#145;business of science.' Dr. Tony Lucas is the Executive-in-Residence for Biotech Management, and is the liaison between the School of Business and the science-business community to help identify the needs of this industry. "The School of Business with its enhanced capabilities and new Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship will play a critical role in developing the necessary skills and people who will catalyze innovation for the growing bio-industry here and in the world," said Lucas.

The campaign to generate $6 million in private financial support for the development is being led by Tim Banks, President of the APM Group, and Dr. Roberta MacDonald. Banks has announced his own $100,000 pledge to the campaign and Chancellor Bill Andrew has made a private donation of $100,000. The provincial government has committed $4 million as part of a $25 million commitment for capital renewal at UPEI over 10 years. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is contributing $1.69 million to the Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship.

Island Studies Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2006 is now available online. This journal issue packs 100 pages of information, consisting of three academic articles, a review essay, and an extensive book reviews section. Article and review essay contributors are included from Tasmania, Finland, Fiji, and Canada. One essay of particular interest to PEI readers relates to strategies for effective 'cold water' island tourism.

"UPEI has an obvious international advantage in spearheading the study of islands on their own terms," says Dr Godfrey Baldacchino, Canada Research Chair (Island Studies) at UPEI and the Executive Editor of the Journal. "The Journal continues to position us as a world centre for the critical study of island affairs. The work of various academics the world over who submit and review manuscripts and who pen book reviews is testimony that the journal has widespread credibility and recognition." The island studies website, where the journal is located, received over half a million hits in its first year of operation.

Island Studies Journal is the only regular scholarly journal published by UPEI's Faculty of Arts. It is peer reviewed, electronic, and freely downloadable from www.islandstudies.ca/journal.

Early childhood educators now have an opportunity to advance their studies and enhance their careers, thanks to the launch of the new Bachelor of Child and Family Studies degree offered jointly by the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) and Holland College.

"In the past, graduates of the Early Childhood Care and Education program at Holland College who wanted to go university, had to start over, since many universities, including UPEI, did not accept college level courses," says Dr. Lori Weeks, Associate Professor of Family and Nutritional Sciences at UPEI and the architect behind the degree. "For many, starting their education over is not realistic, so going to university simply wasn't an option."

Two years ago, Weeks recognized this education gap and set out to make university an option for early childhood educators, 98 per cent of whom are women according to the Organisation of Economic and Co-operative Development.

In January, UPEI will begin accepting students who have graduated from Holland College's Early Childhood Care and Education program to the new two-year university program.

"We're very proud of this partnership with Holland College. Now, students can transfer the entire two-year block of early childhood care and education courses from Holland College to UPEI and finish their degree in two years," says Dr. Vianne Timmons, Vice President of Academic Development at UPEI. "It's an example of the Island community pulling together to meet the changing needs of students and the community."

Students will be admitted on a competitive basis, based on their education and related work experience and can complete the degree either as a full- or part-time student. To further augment the hands-on learning experience in the Holland College program, the degree incorporates real-world experience through a series of applied placements in their last two years with UPEI.

A comprehensive, nationally recognized diploma program with stringent quality standards, Holland College's Early Childhood Care and Education program features content based on National Guidelines for Early Childhood Education programs.

"For many years, the college's early childhood educators have played a significant role in the first educational experiences of Island children," said Dr. Brian McMillan, President of Holland College. "For those educators who wish to pursue it, the degree program is a wonderful opportunity to further their learning."

Graduates from similar college programs other than Holland College will also be considered for acceptance into the degree program.

UPEI and Holland College have other educational partnerships including the Applied Degree in Print Journalism, the Bachelor in Education Degree in Human Resource Development, and various articulation agreements.

An anthropology graduate from East Bay, Cape Breton who is an intern with the Institute of Island Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, in collaboration with the Mi'kmaq Confederacy of PEI, has been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with the Williche people in Chile.

With the support of the Canadian International Development Agency, and the Atlantic Council of International Cooperation, Dolores Le Vangie leaves Canada on December 31 to begin a five-month international internship on the Island of Chiloand#233;. There, she will work with Bosque Modelo Chiloand#233; and the Williche Council of Chie to help identify potential uses of seaweed for indigenous economic development.

"This internship allows me to work among the Mi'kmaq people on Prince Edward Island and the Williche people on the Island of Chiloand#233;, Chile. Both of these indigenous groups have traditionally used marine plants as a form of medicinal healing and food," she explains.

Through interviews and participant observation, Dolores is collecting information on how the two indigenous cultures have traditionally used, and still use, seaweed today. "The Mi'kmaq people have helped me develop skills in documentation of traditional indigenous uses of marine plants. With these skills I will be able to help the Williche as well," Dolores explains. "The Williche people still have a large amount of traditional knowledge on their uses of marine plants and they want to be able to share their knowledge through educational displays and cultural exchanges."

She adds that there is also the potential to develop a cottage-scale industry in Chiloand#233; where the Williche would be able market value-added food, health, beauty, or agricultural products based on their traditional knowledge of seaweed as well as modern scientific information provided by the Institute of Island Studies.

Dolores' internship in Chile is just one example of a growing range of international opportunities that UPEI students are pursuing. The university has an agreement with CUSO and agreements with universities in Australia, Sweden, and the US that allow students from all faculties to earn credits in these countries towards their UPEI degrees. Similar agreements are being developed for New Zealand and Japan. In addition, there are numerous program-specific arrangements in place at UPEI for international work and study. Through the Faculty of Education alone, students specializing in international education have taught in over 20 different countries, from Thailand and Iceland to Russia and the Dominican Republic.

Island writer and UPEI English Department sessional lecturer Deirdre Kessler has been selected by the Tasmanian Writers' Centre for the 2007 Tasmanian-Prince Edward Island island-to-island writers' exchange. During the month-long residency Kessler will stay at a writers' retreat in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

Deirdre Kessler teaches creative writing, children's literature, and composition with the UPEI English Department, and is author of many books for young people and fiction and poetry for adults. She is past recipient of the Prince Edward Island Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Literary Arts; in 2005 a chapbook of her poetry, "Subtracting by Seventeen," first-prize winner of the Milton Acorn Poetry Award, was published by Saturday Morning Chapbooks. This Christmas two of her stories were published in a new collection by Nimbus.

During the winter/spring 2007 semester, Kessler is teaching English 486: Advanced Creative Writing with a focus on writing for young people and English 245: Introduction to Children's Literature.

The Prince Edward Island-Tasmania writers' exchange was initiated in October 2006, when Austalian writer Danielle Wood spent a month at UPEI as writer-in-residence.

The writers' exchange is co-sponsored by the UPEI English Department, UPEI Institute of Island Studies, UPEI Dean of Arts, PEI Writers' Guild, and the Tasmanian Writers' Centre.